Ohio State president gives State of the University address

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio State University President Ted Carter delivered his State of the University address on Wednesday, announcing several major investments in staffing and research initiatives.

Carter said the university will grow its research enterprise with a new goal of $2 billion. He said OSU will add 100 faculty members to support its artificial intelligence fluency program and he announced a $100 million commitment toward hiring and retaining elite facility members.

He said with federal cuts to higher education and research programs, OSU aims to remain a leader.

"Most schools right now, and we are not immune to this, are playing defense," Carter said. "How do they sustain themselves? How do they maintain themselves in this different environment? We haven't been immune to it. We've had some research grants shut down, in the tens of millions of dollars. But yet, we have been able to sustain ourselves."

NBC4 also sat down for a one-on-one interview with Carter. Watch a portion of that interview below.

Carter said OSU is also making a new commitment toward recruiting veterans to the university, and announced tuition-free options for Ohioans.